Races of The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls series of role-playing video games are populated with a number of fantasy races, ten of which are playable. Generally, these races fall into one of three distinct archetypes, namely, humans, elvenkind, and beastfolk. Within the lore of the Elder Scrolls universe, men and elves alike were descended from an ancestral race known as the "Ehlnofey", and are capable of interbreeding. It is uncertain if beastfolk share the same lineage, as much of the existing lore presents conflicting information. Elves (or Mer) Aldmer The Aldmer, translated as the First or Elder Folk, are thought to be the first race to appear on the world of Nirn. The Oblivion in-game book "Before the Ages of Man" is the most comprehensive source of their history. It traces their origins first to the mythic continent of Aldmeris, noting the alternate rendering of Old Elhofney for the place. Certain maps are cautious enough to exclude the mythic continent from their mappings of Nirn, while others place it to the south of Tamriel. As is often the case with Elder Scrolls lore, many contradictory accounts concerning Aldmeris exist, with some suggesting it to be entirely mythological. A close reading of the text is available from Beyond Aldmeris, their first known settlements were in southwestern Tamriel, from which they eventually moved on to settle the entire continent. By the beginning of recorded history, they had already branched off into a number of distinct populations, among them the present-day Altmer. The term "Aldmer" is sometimes used to describe the entire Elven race, as in the "Aldmeri Dominion", or in common Elven usage, as evidenced by the entry for "Aldmer" in the Elder Scrolls of mandooTreasury. Although the Aldmer no longer exist as a distinct race, their culture lives on throughout the Empire, forming the basis of Tamrielic Language and Religion. exact notice on how they could fuck each other bi sticking each others dickes inside LEDs long ears Reading Auri-El, Jode, Jone, Sheogorath, Syrabane, Trinimac, and Xarxes as such. Altmer The Altmer, also called High Elves, live in the Summerset Isle. They are taller than the other races and have a golden skin color. They tend to be proud and consider themselves the most civilized race. Their unique abilities have changed throughout the series. In Morrowind and Oblivion they had a weakness to fire, frost, and shock magic, but boasted the greatest magicka bonus of all the races, while their 'pure' bodies give them greater resistance to diseases. However, in Arena and Daggerfall, the first two games in the series, they had none of those strength and weaknesses but instead boasted an immunity to paralyzing magical effects. Their racials in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim include: +50 magicka, "Highborn" ability which regenerates magic faster, and the "Fury" spell at the start of the game. Altmer is the elven name of their race, meaning High Folk, and most likely a derivation of the name of the first race of elves, the Aldmer, meaning First or Elder Folk. They consider themselves the successors of the Aldmer and the highest of all races. Unlike men, who believe themselves to have been created along with the world by the gods, Elves believe themselves to be descended from these gods, calling them the Aedra, "Ancestors". Imperial propaganda (presented in the leaflet 'A Pocket Guide to the Empire' which shipped with the game Redguard) initially portrayed them as arrogant in their superiority and heartless to the point of inhumanity, suggesting that they euthanize nine out of ten children in their quest for racial 'perfection'. A new edition of the same fictional 'guide' was shipped with Oblivion which contained a much more favourable view of the Altmer, mentioning deep class and social struggles in which the young were rebelling against the notion of their race's superiority in general and the superiority of the Altmeri nobility in particular with many even abandoning worship of the traditional Altmeri pantheon of gods altogether. Ayleid The Ayleids, also known as the Wild Elves or Heartland High Elves, were the first race to establish an empire in Tamriel. They lived in a tribal society, with each "tribe" being different from the next. They were the first inhabitants of the Imperial City and apparently spoke a variation of Old Cyrodiilic. Many Ayleid ruins can be found throughout Cyrodiil. These ruins are filled with dangerous traps, monsters, bandits, and undead. Many would-be treasure hunters have died trying to plunder these lost ruins of the Ayleids. The Ayleids controlled the entirety of Cyrodiil, thanks to their mastery of magic and their alliances with the Daedric princes, and enslaved the Cyrodiilic and Nordic populations (which at that point were both part of the same prototypical race of men). During this time, the Ayleids made great strides in the arcane arts. The downfall of the Ayleid civilization was largely the result of their own mistreatment of their human slaves whom they provoked into revolution; under the Ayleids, torture, mutilation and mass-killings of slaves were undertaken for sport and actually became mainstays of the Ayleids' culture and aesthetic traditions as revealed ingame in The Adabal-a. With the blessing of the Aedra, a slave named Alessia led a revolt that resulted in the inexorable destruction of the Ayleid civilization. Remaining Ayleids frequently showed up as civil servants to the nobility in the Alessian empire or as vassal-kings of the Alessians; still others fled to Valenwood and interbred with the Bosmer. The last known King of the Ayleids was the ruler of the city of Nenalata who controlled eastern Cyrodiil. In the expansion to Oblivion, Knights of the Nine, the Ayleids' close relationship with the Daedric Princes is explored in greater detail. It is revealed that they held their human subjects in check with Daedric magic which allowed them to maintain armies of undead and lesser daedra. Their subservience to the Daedric Princes and their immense cruelty towards their human subjects (elaborated upon ingame in the book [http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The_Adabal-a The Adabal-a]) were contributing factors to the Aedra giving their aid to the human races. White Gold Tower, the central spire of the Imperial City in Cyrodiil, was the central temple of the Ayleids. It now serves as the Imperial Palace for the Tamrielic Empire. The rest of their capital city was either razed or buried beneath the Imperial City. By the Second Era, the surviving Ayleids who had not been fully assimilated withdrew to the deep forests where they shunned contact with other races (hence the appellation Wild Elves); little is known of modern Wild Elves and their culture but at least one entered the Arcane University and became the major source for what is known about them. Their tribes apparently possessed wildly disparate cultures, but shared a thread of xenophobia, likely remaining from the Alessian Reformation when Ayleidic culture was destroyed. Bosmer The Bosmer, also called Wood Elf, inhabit the province of Valenwood. They are among the shortest races, and they are remarkable thieves and archers, due to their superior dexterity and agility, presumably because they spend their time living in trees. They are also religiously carnivorous and cannibalistic as a result of the Green Pact, a central portion of the Bosmer faith. The Green Pact is never explicitly shown, but in its simplest sets these rules down: Bosmer may only consume meat-based products and are forbidden to harm any plant for their own betterment. As a result of these stipulations, Bosmer are dependent on either stone or imported timber for construction purposes. The Green Pact has also heavily impacted Bosmeri cuisine, combat, and weaponry. They have developed methods of fermenting meat and milk to develop powerful alcoholic beverages and weapons such as bows are often made of treated and shaped bones. Most notable about Bosmeri combat is their stipulation that a combatant must consume an enemy's corpse within a short time after killing them. This has led to changes in approaches to combat, such as fasting and planning family feasts following a battle. Bosmer are unique among the races of Tamriel in that they possess the ability to transform their shapes. According to legend, the Bosmer witnessed the death of Yffre, the first of the Ehlnofey to die. In his passing, his spiritual energies formed an Earthbone, a natural law, to limit certain aspects of the world. Yffre's Earthbone placed a limit on the ability of a being to change its form and nature, as previously they could change them at will. However, the Bosmer, having witnessed the formation of the Earthbone, learned how to manipulate it to avoid its restrictions. The most notable of their uses of this ability is the Wild Hunt, a ritual known only to the shaman of Valenwood. Reserved to protect Valenwood from invading forces, the ritual permanently transforms all participants into mindless, blood-thirsty monsters, who will then consume all of their enemies and then themselves. The Bosmer have noted that all monsters in the world were born from previous Wild Hunts. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Bosmer have *50% Resistance to Poison and Disease with bonus to archery *Command Creature/Animal, an illusion spell that makes simple animals fight for the Bosmer for a short time Chimer Chimer (changed folk) no longer exist in their original state, having been transformed into the Dunmer. They fled from the Aldmeri (elven) home of Summerset after their religious conversion, and settled in the land of the Dwemer, later known as Morrowind. The Chimer were often in conflict with their neighbors, the Dwemer and Nords, due to religious and racial conflicts respectively. Eventually, the Chimer, under the rule of Indoril Nerevar Moon-and-Star, formed a lasting alliance with the Dwemer in order to drive back the Nords. This peace lasted until the Chimer learned of the Dwemeri attempts to create a god, and the Chimer attacked, successfully preventing the awakening of Numidium. But after the Battle of Red Mountain, during which the Dwemer vanished in unexplained circumstances, the Chimer were transformed into Dunmer by the Daedric Goddess Azura as punishment either for when the Tribunal broke their oath to Nerevar and Azura, by making themselves gods, or for their possible murder of Nerevar. The Chimeri Exodus was led by the prophet Veloth, who later became a prominent saint in the Tribunal Temple, in the Merethic Era and was done so the Chimer could practice Daedra worship. The Dunmer attribute the inspiration for this exodus to the Daedric Prince Boethiah. They say he ate a prominent figure of the Aldmeri religion, Trinimac, and used his voice to show the Chimer the lies of the Aedra, who the Aldmer worshiped. He spoke of various ways in which they should live and demonstrated how to complete the Exodus. Other Daedric Princes, such as Mephala and Azura, initiated other changes and taught other lessons to the early Chimer, as well. A possible hint to the appearance of the Chimer can be seen in Morrowind in the persons of Vivec and Almalexia, who were both of the Chimer race before the formation of the Tribunal. They appear to have been similar in height and build to Dunmer, with a coloring similar to Altmer. As the Chimer were actually a splinter faction of the Altmer, this is not surprising. Dunmer Dunmer, also called Dark Elves, hail from Morrowind. They are the Elder Scrolls variation of dark elves, a popular fictional race in role-playing games and fantasy literature. Gameplay-wise, they are well-balanced (tending towards a battlemage or spellsword class). The Dunmer are the descendants of the Chimer, who were punished by the Daedric goddess Azura for the betrayal of their General, Indoril Nerevar. Azura's punishment was to turn the color of all the Chimer race's skin to ash-gray and their eyes to ruby red. Native-born Dunmer tend to look down on "outlanders", which are other races or Dunmer born outside of Morrowind, though the intensity of this xenophobia varies from place to place. The land from which the Dunmer hail is to the far east of the Empire and is commonly known as Morrowind (which contains the island of Vvardenfell). Slavery was practiced in Morrowind until near the end of the third era, and slaves were mostly either of Khajiit or Argonian descent, although some men and elves were also enslaved there, a practice that had been more common in the past. (Because of the past enslavement, some Khajiit and Argonians have a bone-deep hatred for the Dunmer.) The Empire of Tamriel has a ban on slavery, but as part of the terms of Morrowind's entrance into the Empire, Dunmer were allowed to keep their own sacred and traditional laws. In the sequel to Morrowind, Oblivion, it is revealed that slavery has been abolished and the slaves freed by the king of Morrowind Province, Hlaalu Helseth, with House Dres and House Hlaalu supporting the move. (Released or past escaped Khajiit slaves are attempting to mass in a Dunmer resistance in Elsweyr.) This can be discovered through dialogue with recurring characters from Morrowind. Though some Dunmer, especially of House Hlaalu, have become assimilated into Imperial and foreign culture, almost all retain many of their traditions and values, and some Dunmer even prefer living a tribal life as Ashlanders - in small, tight-knit tribes in the deserts and scorched plains of the Ashlands and on the plains of the Grazelands. In the Ashlands, native tribes rule without laws or care for government, and live strictly by honour codes, rituals and ancient traditions usually dictated by a wise woman or seer. Historically, half of the ancient Dunmer chose this lifestyle, with the others creating or joining the Great Houses and establishing such cities as Balmora or Vivec. The land is so harsh and dangerously infested with creatures such as Alits and cliff racers that westerners and Imperial garrisonmen dare not venture out of the safety of Dunmer settled areas. Dunmer do not ride horses, or own them for that purpose - rather, horses in Morrowind are raised for the slaughter, to be eaten as food. This fact mentioned, with some hesitation, by Morrowind's level designer Gary Noonan, during a development chat as a cautionary note against the possible inclusion of rideable horses in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. A chat in which Morrowind's lead character designer also assured expectant consumers that, in Morrowind, there would be "no horse eating allowed". Horses were definitively excluded from the game by Todd Howard in February 2001. Ken Rolston offered the Dunmer diet as a rationale for why the game ended up without them. The Dunmer themselves, previously known as the Chimer, or 'changed folk' traditionally gained their dark skin as a result of the Battle of Red Mountain. It was in this battle that the Dwemer vanished. The Dwemer are a major part of Dunmeri history. During the battle, all Dwemer mysteriously disappeared, presumably by their own technology. Though the change in the elves' skin tone was traditionally interpreted as the will of Azura, alternative theories certainly exist. The Dwemer's complex technology could have been the cause instead, as it functioned on a technological level incomprehensible to the "old-world" style, horses-and-swords environment present in the Elder Scrolls world. The official Imperial line of thought, however, is that the Dunmer simply exterminated the Dwemer and that their bluish-grey skin is the result of adaptation to their harsh, rather volcanic environment. In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim their racials include: *"Ancestor's Wrath", a fire cloak that damages any who touch it (can be used once a day) *Start with "Sparks" spell at the beginning of the game *50% resist fire Dwemer Dwemer, meaning "Deep Elves", are a lost race that lived primarily in the region of Vvardenfell and in Hammerfell. They are often referred to as "Dwarves" in western cultures, although they were no shorter than a human and the name seems to have been derived from a supposed encounter with Giants who saw the Dwemer as short.The Imperial Library They were a reclusive, independent race, dedicated to the principles of Science, Alchemy, Magic, and Engineering. They did not die out; instead, the entire race vanished into thin air all at the same time around the world. Yagrum Bagarn is the only known remaining living Dwemer on Nirn. Yagrum Bagarn resides in the Corprusarium deep beneath the island of Vvardenfell, in the Tamriellic province of Morrowind. He has been infected by corprus, granting him eternal life, but constant pain. He is searching for clues to the whereabouts of his race when one finds him in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. In the Tribunal expansion pack of Morrowind, there is also a quest that leads you meet a Dwemer ghost whose name is Radac and can be found in Radac's Forge. This Dwemer is largely not thought of due to the fact that he does not give any clues about the Dwemer race and is not alive. Dialogue within Skyrim whilst traversing a ruined Dwemer torture chamber with a quest NPC states that the Dwemer "were a cruel, cruel race. Brilliant, but cruel". This is supported by the mass-blinding of the Falmer in order to ensure they could never challenge the Dwemer. Records of Dwemer activity date back to before the First Era, most notably in the Vvardenfell region (Vvardenfell, in Dwemeris, means "City of the Strong Shield"), which has the highest concentration of Dwemer ruins of any land in Tamriel. Feuding between Chimer and Dwemer continued until the First Council, when the Dwemer and Chimer unite to expel the Nords from Morrowind. One clan of Dwemer, the Rourken, refused to make peace with the Chimer, and their patriarch threw his ceremonial Warhammer, Volendrung, across Tamriel, proclaiming that his clan would settle where it landed. Over time, they settled in modern-day Hammerfell (explaining that region's name), home of the Redguards. Eventually, however, tensions developed between the Chimer and Dwemer once again. A great war erupted between them, eventually leading to the mysterious disappearance of the Dwemer during The Battle of Red Mountain. The difficulty was prompted by the discovery of a mythological artifact known as the Heart of Lorkhan by the Dwemer, deep in the mountains' bowels. The Chief Tonal Architect Kagrenac, their de facto religious leader, devised a set of tools (Sunder, Keening, and Wraithguard) to manipulate the Heart to instill divinity to his people. Kagrenac used the tools during the Battle of Red Mountain caused all known Dwemer to vanish, however their fate is unknown. The most commonly accepted explanation is that Kagrenac's plan failed, but it has also been theorized that Kagrenac's plan actually did work and they simply ascended into a higher plane of existence. Whatever the case may be, since 1E 668 no word has been heard from the Dwemer, with the notable exception of Yagrum Bagarn, who resides in the Corprusarium of Tel Fyr. Apparently, he was absent from the Mortal Plane at the time of the disappearance, visiting an Outer Realm, an alternate dimension. His 3000 years of exploration and 500 years of investigation have yielded no leads on the presence of his people on Mundus or any other plane of existence currently known. However, it may be that Azura prevented Kagrenac from using the tools and sent him and the dwemer to Oblivion. This is the most likely theory as Azura would not allow them to become gods. There are many mysteries among the Dwemer creations left behind. Mages Guild investigators have discovered that if one of the centurion spiders is taken away from Vvardenfell, it gradually becomes more sluggish, eventually going into a state of torpor. Even more curious is that upon return, the spider re-activates back to normal aggressive levels, as if sensing the presence of the Dwemer ruins. Strangely, the Dwemer robots reactivate in the lands of the Redguard also. Dwemer artifacts are highly prized throughout the Empire, although since they are technically the property of the Emperor under the charter of the Imperial Society of Architecture and Design as well as the Imperial Historical Society, the sale of them is illegal. This does not seem to stop artifacts from falling off the backs of wagons or otherwise disappearing into various collections. Dwemer weapons and armour are especially valued, renowned for their excellent craftsmanship and sturdy design. However, acquisition of these artifacts is extremely dangerous, because of the remote location of the ruins, and the multitude of aged and no-longer reliable Dwemeri machinery within, including the Steam Centurion and other automata, as well as sophisticated traps of which the Dwemer were particularly fond such as spinning blade traps on stairways and poison gas traps in hallways. Falmer It is thought that the Falmer ("Snow Elves") were the original elven inhabitants of Skyrim, the northernmost province of the continent of Tamriel, and were defeated and displaced by the Nords. The Pocket Guide to the Empire in the chapter on Skyrim mentions the Snow Elves as a local superstition, with Nord villagers blaming them for a number of random misfortunes and scant physical evidence of their existence. In Bloodmoon the player may choose to pursue a quest to find out more about the Falmer. There are two mutually exclusive hypotheses about the fate of the Falmer. An Altmer scholar in Raven Rock claims that the Snow Elves have blended with the other elven races through interbreeding. The in game book Fall of the Snow Prince seems to support the latter hypothesis. It chronicles the defeat of the Snow Prince, an elven leader, at the Battle of Moesring. In Skyrim it is shown the Falmer do in fact still exist but following their defeat at the hands of the Nords they moved underground and became near feral in their behaviour. It is revealed in the latest game, Skyrim, that upon losing to the Nords the Falmer were slaughtered by the thousands. Due to this, the Falmer fled to protection with the Dwemer underground. The Dwemer betrayed the Falmer, by feeding them poisonous mushrooms that blinded them. After an unknown amount of years, the Falmer revolted. One day, however, when preparing to enter another battle the Falmer found that their enemies had mysteriously vanished. The Falmer have now degenerated into a hideous breed of subterranean monsters the player character will often face within Dwemer ruins or in caves. Due to their long existence underground, they have become hunched and are no longer very elven; however, they have gained keen hearing and hunt their prey using this ability. In the Skyrim DLC, Dawnguard, it is revealed that there are two remaining, pre-blindness Falmer. They are the Paladins of Auri-El, or Akatosh. The player, however, kills one of these Snow Elves. However, when speaking to the remaining elf, it is revealed that he thinks that there could be a possibility that others have survived in similar secluded situations. Maormer The Maormer or Sea Elves reside on the island of Pyandonea south of the continent of Tamriel. They have pale, almost chameleon like skin and yellow eyes. It was originally believed that they lived in Summerset Isles and were exiled by the High Elves. This is proven false upon the discovery of an ancient tapestry that reveals such a long-standing hostility as to make this theory impossible. Their leader is an immortal wizard named Orgnum Thras. The Maormer practice a snake-like magic which they use to tame sea-serpents. Their name may derive from Maori, a culture and people indigenous to New Zealand. Orsimer Although beast-like in appearance, the Orsimer (Pariah Folk or simply Orcs) are descended from a group of Altmer (or even Aldmer) that worshipped a god named Trinimac. Trinimac is the strongest of Altmeri ancestor spirits, and is described in-game as having led his Orsimer people to war against the dissident Chimer, who coveted the machines and industry of the heathen Dwemer. The Daedric Prince Boethiah, however, decides to eat Trinimac, ending his war plans, corrupting his essence and remaking him as the Daedric Prince Malacath. Incidentally, his people lost their Elven features, and became the beastly Orcs. Orsimer were the former inhabitants of the province of Hammerfell, but lost their land to the armies of Redguards. The Orcs now reside in a small mountain kingdom known as Orsinium. The kingdom has been sacked and rebuilt numerous times, and is located near the Breton homeland of High Rock. According to Morrowind book descriptions, the Orcs are "sophisticated, barbarian beast people", "noted for their unshakeable courage in war and their unflinching endurance of hardships". "In the past, Orcs have been widely feared and hated by the other nations and races of Tamriel, but they have slowly won acceptance in the Empire, in particular for their distinguished service in the Emperor's Legions. Orcish armorers are prized for their craftsmanship, and Orc warriors in heavy armor are among the finest front-line troops on the battlefield. Most Imperial citizens regard Orc society as rough and cruel, but there is much to admire in their fierce tribal loyalties and generous equality of rank and respect among the sexes." In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion their racials include: *"Berserk" ability which deals double damage while only taking half damage for a short time *25% resist magic In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim their racials include: *"Berserk" ability which deals double damage while only taking half damage for a short time Human Humans in The Elder Scrolls is a generic term and does not necessarily indicate a shared ancestry among the races it applies to. The Imperials and Nords are of Nedic ancestry and the Nedes in turn trace their lineage back to the continent of Atmora. The Bretons are of mixed Nedic and Elven heritage, whereas the Redguards originated on the continent of Yokuda. Humans, for the most part, descend from the "Wandering Ehlnofey", the half of the mythic race that accepted Nirn and wished to live on it. Breton The Bretons are half-elves, with more human than elvish blood, and populate the province of High Rock, where the second game of the series, Daggerfall, takes place. They are capable mages with high magic resistance but other than that they have few distinctive features. They are considered an intelligent human race in Tamriel, known for a proficiency in abstract thinking, a possible reason for their adeptness in the magical arts. Bretons originated in the First Era. A series of raids on Nedic holdings by the Aldmer, resulted in the destruction of all human settlements in Skyrim. Many Nedes were enslaved, some of whom were used as pleasure slaves and gave birth to mixed offspring. These offspring were termed Manmer by Nords. While the Aldmer maintained control of Tamriel, the Manmer lived as lower-class citizens, supporting their meric brethren. After the Aldmer lost their foothold, the remaining Manmer interbred with the controlling human races. The Bretons of modern-day Tamriel have a much-diluted meric ancestry, seen in their higher magical affinity, paler skin and shorter stature. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion their racials include: *Fortify Magic (50 points) *Resist Magic (50%) *"Dragon Skin" alteration spell that shields 50% on self for 60 seconds (use once per day) In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim *Resist Magic (25%) *"Dragon Skin" shield spell *Extra spell "Conjure Familiar" Imperial Natives of the civilized, cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil, the Imperials are well-educated and well-spoken. Though less physically imposing than the other races, the Imperials are shrewd diplomats and traders. These traits, along with their remarkable skill and training as light infantry, have enabled them to subdue all the other provinces of Tamriel and unite them under the banner of their prosperous empire. In the The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Imperials, ironically, have no bonus to speech. They have bonuses in Destruction, Restoration, Block, One handed, Heavy armor, and Enchanting, the biggest bonus being that in Restoration, which make them ideal Battlemages, Spellswords and Crusader archetypes. Imperials were not a playable race in Daggerfall, and "the Imperial Province" (that is, Cyrodiil), was declared to have "no indigenous race".(1996) Bethesda Softworks Daggerfall instruction manual Bethesda Softworks, 10-11. The Imperial race is playable in Morrowind as well as Oblivion and Skyrim. The Imperial race is further divided into two sub-races: the Colovians; independent rural folk in the west of Cyrodiil, and the cosmopolitan Nibenese occupying the rest of Cyrodiil. The Colovians historically are not as reverent to the established Cyrodiilic religion as the Nibenese. Imperials were originally brought to Cyrodiil as slaves to the Heartland High Elves, or Ayleids. The Imperials have been in control of Cyrodiil, along with the rest of the Empire, since the fall of the Ayleids. Imperials have had many wins and losses in the wars of the past, some through struggle, others through annihilation of the opponents' armies. First and foremost, though, Imperials are diplomats and have shown themselves to be capable of gaining territory through negotiation as much as through war, as evidenced by their extension of Imperial authority into the Dunmer kingdom of Morrowind. Many of the positions higher in civilization are given to Imperials in the Elder Scrolls V Skyrim; they are a race considered more worthy and intelligent than the standard Nords who are viewed as un-civilised and barbaric by some. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion their racials include: *"Star of the West" which absorbs 100 fatigue on touch (use once per day) *"Voice of the Emperor" which calms enemies (use once per day) In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim their racials include: *"Imperial Luck" which allows for the finding of extra coins *"Voice of the Emperor" which calms enemies (use once per day) Nede The now extinct Nedes originally lived on the frozen continent of Atmora, where they banded into small clans who fought in a great civil war. A small group of Nedes then migrated and settled in northern Tamriel. The Nedic hero Ysgramor, leader of a great colonizing fleet to Tamriel, developed a runic transcription of Nordic speech based on Aldmeri principles, and was the first recorded human historian. Ysgramor's fleet landed at Hsaarik Head at the extreme northern tip of Skyrim's Broken Cape. They built the legendary city of Saarthal and lived with the native Falmer, in relative peace until the Falmer began to notice the comparatively fast growth of the Nedic people's population. The Elves drove the Men away during the Night of Tears, but Ysgramor soon returned with his Five Hundred Companions. These Five Hundred Companions settled and those who stayed in Skyrim became the Nords, with those going west to High Rock breeding with the Aldmer and becoming the Bretons and those going south to Cyrodiil becoming the Imperials. The remaining Nedes raided Elvish settlements along the coast from Skyrim and Atmora until 1E68. The last two ships from Atmora pulled into a harbor with more than half their crews dead. Atmora had become a frozen wasteland, and almost all that lived there had died. Nord The Nords inhabit the northern province of Skyrim, which is the setting for the latest installment of the series: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. They are strong and able warriors who are also highly resistant to frost. They are generally fair haired, pale, and blue eyed. Their origins can be traced all the way to the continent of Atmora. Little is known of the geography and history of Atmora, as at the time of the migration from there, humanity did not possess a written language. What little is runic writing, as well as old Elvish records which are not open to Imperial scholars, but which are known to refer to the continent as 'Aldmora', meaning "Elder Wood". It is likely Atmora is a human corruption of this word. In a historical sense, the humans who live there are called "Nedes", as are those humans living in Tamriel before King Harald, thirteenth of the Ysgramor line, seceded from Atmoran rulership, after which they are historically annotated as Cyro-Nordics, to illustrate that the Cyrodiil people had not yet gone separate from the original trunk of human population. There are a group of wild nords called the Skaal who appear in both Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon and Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn and live on the island of Solstheim. When designing the Nordic people and culture, Bethesda Softworks took inspiration from a combination of real-world historical sources, as seen with the Nord ability of woad, a warpaint used by North European Celtic peoples of the Iron and Dark ages. It is also worth noting that Nords closely resemble Scandinavian Vikings, as shown in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, by the housing design, fence design, ships, weapons, important figures, and even some bed designs. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, their racials include: *"Woad" spell that shields 30% on self (use once per day) *"Nordic Frost" spell doing 50 frost damage (use once per day) *Resist Frost (50%) In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, their racials include: *"Battlecry" which makes enemies flee from battle *Resist Frost (50%) Redguard :For the 1997 game of the same name, please see The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard The Redguards hail from the province of Hammerfell in western Tamriel. They are noted for their great strength, agility, and physical hardiness, and are very adept at surviving in hot, dry conditions. They are known as the most naturally talented warriors in all of Tamriel. They possess dark skin, ranging from light brown to nearly black in hue, often with a distinct reddish tint. Redguards (in their own language 'Yokudans', taken simply from the name of their homeland) hail from the western continent of Yokuda, which sank into the sea in ancient times. This was probably the result of a tectonic shift in the form of an earthquake or a volcanic eruption, however, the Redguards seem under the impression that it was in some way their fault. Upon the sinking of their homeland, which apparently was predictable to some degree, the Yokudan fleet set sail to the east, where they shored at the continent of Tamriel, in the province of Hammerfell. At the time, Hammerfell was populated largely with Bretons, Nedes, Orsimer and other beastfolk. The Yokudans, knowing they must settle to survive as a people, launched a Ra'gada, or a "warrior wave", at the shores of Hammerfell, conscripting every man and boy capable of wielding a sword into the strong and capable Yokudan military. They attacked the settlements and strongholds in lightning raids, taking no prisoners. After only a few brutal months, the Yokudan had established a strong presence along the western shores of Hammerfell. When the Orc province of Orsinium, which was formed in large part by fleeing refugees, arose to challenge the Redguards, they allied with their former Breton rivals in a 30 year quest to exterminate them, and nearly succeeded. This made way for the Yokudan High King and royalty, known as Na-Totambu, to arrive with safety in Hammerfell, without fear of assassination. It is from this Ra'gada that the Redguards take their name. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, their racials include: *"Adrenaline Rush" which fortifies agility, endurance, speed, strength, and health *Resist Disease (75%) *Resist Poison (75%) In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, their racials include: *"Adrenaline Rush" which restores Stamina 100% faster *Resist Poison (50%) Kothringi A race of men mentioned in only a few in-game books hailing from Black Marsh. They were said to look like men only with metallic skin and were quite common in Black Marsh during the second era. They were eventually wiped out by a plague before the start of the third era. It is not certain, but their origin is said to dates back to the end of the first era, through interbreeding of argonians and the sload. Akaviri Akaviri refers broadly to races from the continent of Akavir which means "Dragon Land". Often it is used to refer to the Tsaeci in particular as they have had the most influence on Tamriel. Humans There is evidence to show that humans once inhabited Akavir. However they were eaten by the Tsaeci, which could simply mean that they assimilated with them as a culture. Kamal Kamal, meaning "Snow Hell", is one of four nations of Akavir. It is home to armies of snow demons. Every summer these demons thaw out and attempt to invade the neighboring nation of Tang Mo, home to many breeds of monkey-people, but every year they are repelled. Tsaesci The Tsaesci, which means Snake Palace, are a race of vampiric serpents. The serpent-folk apparently ate the men that had lived on Akavir, although this could mean that they assimilated with them as a culture. Their appearance has been described differently on many occasions, the only consistency being that they are "tall, beautiful (if frightening), and covered in golden scales." They have been described as having human upper bodies and snake lower bodies, to being entirely snake-like. 2920, Morning Star, an in-game book in Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim describes (and in it they are called Akaviri) Prince Juliek, son of Emperor Reman III and heir to the throne of the Cyrodillic Empire, in an arena match with a Tsaesci. It is said the creature had two tails and amazing grace, it also mentions that these creatures had never used shields and when faced with one it was confused, 'if you don't want to get hit then get out of the way,' is their motto. Prince Juliek won by eventually overcoming the nimble beast. The appearance may however be inaccurate, and made up by storytellers to make the Tsaesci more monster-like. They are actually closely related to men, and are loosely classified as humans. This could either be due to shared origins or interbreeding with Akaviri humans or maybe they are indeed half human half serpent. The Tsaesci once invaded Tamriel in 1E 2703, but were driven back by the forces of Emperor Reman I. Surviving Tsaesci in Cyrodiil served as mercenaries and personal guards of nobles. They left many influences on the Imperials, including the Dai-katana and Dragonscale armor, as well as the uniform of the Blades and the Red Dragon symbol of the Empire. Several Tsaesci even served as Potentate, acting in place of the Emperor when the Reman dynasty ended. The first Potentate, Versidue-Shaie, ushered the Tamrielic Empire into the Second Era, an era of chaos and upheaval. He, and his heir, ruled Tamriel for four hundred years, until the Akaviri Potentate was assassinated by the Morag Tong in 2E 430. Tang Mo Tang Mo, meaning "Thousand Monkey Isles", is one of four nations of Akavir, a continent far east of Tamriel. Tang Mo is home to many breeds of monkey-folk who are described as kind, brave, simple, and often crazy. At some point or another every other Akaviri nation has made an attempt at enslaving the people of Tang Mo, and every summer the snow demons of the neighboring nation of Kamal thaw out and attempt to invade Tang Mo, but the brave monkey-people have always successfully repelled their enemies. The monkey-people have strong hatred toward the snow demons of Kamal and the serpent-folk of Tsaesci, but after a history of strife have come to ally with the tiger-folk of Ka Po' Tun. Ka Po' Tun Ka Po' Tun are described as being tiger like cat folk, possibly similar in appearance to the Khajiit. They are led by the mighty Tosh Raka. Under his leadership the Po'Tun changed their species' name to the Ka Po'Tun. After the Tsaesci ate all the men on Akavir, they attempted to eat all the dragons. The red dragons were all killed but the black dragons fled to the land of Po'Tun. Since then, the tiger people have attempted to transform into dragons themselves. Their leader, Tosh Raka, is the only one to have successfully done so. Beast Races Argonians Argonians are a beast race of reptilian humanoids, consistently portrayed throughout the Elder Scrolls series of games as intelligent, quick and agile, tending towards the in-game character classes of the mage and the thief. Within the ES world, Argonians inhabit the swampy region of Black Marsh. Years of defending their homeland has made them masters of warfare. They can breath underwater and are resistant to poison and diseases, but sadly have little resistance to ice. Hist The Hist were originally the trees of Argonia, though the term has mistakenly been used for the Argonians. During the great war between the Ehlnofey, the Hist were bystanders, but most of their realm was destroyed as the war passed over it. A small corner of it survived to become the Black Marsh province in Tamriel, but most of their realm was sunk beneath the sea. According to the Monomyth, the Hist acknowledge Sithis in his role as the original creator. The Hist have been tossed around quite frequently on The Elder Scrolls Official Forums, all due to one dangerously mislaid sentence. In the PGE, Argonians are said to never have left their homeland "except for a relatively intelligent strain called the hist. sic" This statement, implying that the Argonians are a type of Hist, left quite a bit of fallout, but was resolved by a clear statement by Mark Nelson that the whole thing resulted from ignorance on the part of the editors of the Guide. Hist are, in fact, great sentient trees worshipping the eternal, immutable, god of chaos, Sithis. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find many canonical statements about the Hist in game lore. The Annotated Anuad gives us some information, telling us that the Hist are one of two races to survive the "twelve worlds of Creation," along with the Ehlnofey, and that the Hist had a great homeland sunk beneath the sea by the wars of the Ehlnofey. It is never certain how much credence one should give to a creation myth. Any statements regarding the Hist's survival of the twelve worlds of a Creation should be treated with due suspicion. Argonians are known to have deep connections with the Hist, calling themselves "people of the root," and licking the leaking sap of their trunks in religious rites. In Oblivion, if the player chooses to embark on the Fighters' Guild faction quest, they will eventually come to a mission in which they must discover the source of the Blackwood Company's power. The player discovers that the Blackwood Company is using the sap of a Hist tree. They succeeded in smuggling a whole Hist tree from Black Marsh in order to have a constant supply of the illegal sap. Imga The Great Apes, or Imga reside in the Bosmer province of Valenwood and idolize the High Elves of Summerset Isle, with some going so far as to shave themselves and powder their skin so as to better emulate their appearance. To date, no Imga have appeared in an Elder Scrolls game, and the only Morrowind reference to the Imga appears in the 'Pocket Guide to the Empire' which describes the provinces of the Cyrodilic Empire as of the year 864 of the Second Era. However, their existence has since recently been re-established with the addition of an ingame book in Oblivion, detailing the travels of an adventurer trying to return his stash of booze kidnapped by a group of Imga. There was also a book in Skyrim that spoke of the Imga, titled Uncommon Taste. Khajiit The Khajiit are an anthropomorphic feline race hailing from the province of Elsweyr. Khajiit vary considerably in appearance, ranging from almost Elven Ohmes-raht to larger species such as the Senche (large tigers used as mounts) and the Cathay-Raht (warrior "jaguar men"). Khajiit are generally excellent thieves and good fighters, and fierce individualists with generally no sense of 'private property.' Most of the Khajiit vary from orange to dusky red, though they can be other colors like black, white and tan. Elsweyr formally is some form of republic ruled by turns citizens and deserted clans but really controlled by hardly covered dictatorship of "Mane". Khajiit speak Ta'agra. Khajiit are chiefly one of the underclasses in the country of Morrowind (along with Argonians), usually working as slaves or living on the street as beggars or pickpockets. Escaped or freed Khajiit slaves from Morrowind who make it back to Elsweyr are attempting to form a sort of Elsweyri Anti-Dunmer Alliance. Highway-men gangs in the province of Cyrodiil seem to be exclusively Khajiit which at first might have been thought of as Thieves' Guild affiliation, but is disproved because of the nonviolent manner in which The Thieves' Guild conducts its work. Khajiit produce Moonsugar in their homeland, which is one of the main ingredients in Skooma (a very addictive drug). Although many Khajiit are considered untrustworthy, some are travellers. The Khajiit Caravan is a group of traders that take the roads from Dawnstar to Falkreath in search of those to sell their fascinating (not to mention expensive) wares to and from their homeland of Elsweyr or other trinkets from around Skyrim and Tamriel. They also have claws, which make them excellent unarmed fighters. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion their racials include: *"Eye of Night" which allows for Night-Eye with 0 magic cost *"Eye of Fear" which makes enemies flee from battle In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim their racials include: *"Night-Eye" *Start with an extra 15 points of unarmed damage Sload The Sload are a race of sluglike beastmen that live in the Coral Kingdoms of Thras, southwest of Tamriel. They have generally followed an isolationist policy, with only limited contact and trade with Tamriel, therefore their history is not well known. The most important event known is when they released the Thrassian Plague upon Tamriel in 1E2200, killing more than half of the population. In response, Tamriel assembled the All Flags Navy that ravaged Thras, killing all the Sload it could find and finally sinking it with unknown magics. The Sload, however, survived, and Thras has since risen again. Wild Races Dovah (Dragons) Dragons are large reptilian creatures with wings, and one of the oldest sentient races. Though they are believed by some to be beasts, dragons are highly intelligent, though they hold a strong hatred for almost all other living creatures. They have their own language, which includes a power known as the thu'um; by speaking certain words in a certain pattern, dragons are able to unleash a powerful magical attack from their mouths. The dragons have gone through a variety of events which have lead to the race becoming almost extinct. In Akavir, the population was eaten almost entirely by the tsaesci. In Morrowind, they were driven to extinction by the high population of cliffracers (pterodactyl-like creatures). In Skyrim, they were worshipped by the early nords as gods, but were eventually overthrown by their mortal servants and killed off. However, due to the nature of a dragons soul, they are effectively immortal, and in the 4th era the god-like dragon Alduin resurrected an army of dragons in the province of Skyrim. Though most dragons despise mortals there have been dragons who are friendly to humans such as Paarthurnax on the mountain in Skyrim called the Throat of The World. Dragonling Small reptiles which look like miniature, pinkish dragons. Like true dragons, dragonlings can breathe fire and can talk the same language (or at least a language which is remarkably similar to that spoken by dragons). Originally theorised to be young dragons, it has been concluded that they are mostly unrelated. Hunger Small thin creatures that inhabit the Shivering Isles of Sheogorath, Hungers are native to the forests and use a drain health spell. Giant Giants are massive people who can be found throughout northern Tamriel. They resemble huge, bearded, muscular humans. Giant civilization is basic, revolving around herding mammoths and occasionally moving to a different camp, and little else. It is rare for any more than two giants to live in the same place. Giants are not particularly hostile, only attacking strangers who stray too close after several warnings, and are not hostile unless provoked to those who can speak their language. Goblin Goblins are a small race of beings, typically green, gray or blue skinned, and can be found all across Tamriel. Orcs were once (rather racially insultingly) believed to be related to goblins in a time when Orcs were both feared and hated for their appearance, and misunderstood warrior culture, they are however in fact a race of elves. Goblin villages are typically located inside caves, and can contain a variety of structures, from prison cells to religious centres, though most of these "buildings" are usually ordinary patches of cave, separated from the rest by some wooden planks or fencing, with a few chairs and chests scattered about the place. Goblins seem to exist in a merrit based society in which the strongest earn the right to lead.Goblin tribes are usually lead by a shaman, who carries the tribe's totem staff and seems to be their religious leader, and a warchief, a rank which seems to belong to the ultimate leader of the tribe. They are highly territorial creatures, mustering small armies to drive away and exterminate any who would infringe on their lands, even going to war with the forces of rival Goblin clans. Goblins are incredibly hostile to anything and everything, and are usually outfitted for combat; it is unusual to see a Goblin without a weapon, and the majority wear armor. Goblins seem to be able to use tools, weapons being the obvious example, though items like lockpicks can also be found on them. Goblins appear to understand the concept of currency, or at least that some items have value, as the most valuable items in a goblin tribe are usually found in secure, locked chests. Goblins seem to live on little more than giant rats, which they farm, and alcohol. Some goblin tribes raise reptillian, dog-like creatures called durzogs. Goblins are the primary race of the group known as "Goblin-ken", and obviously the namesake. Imp A small winged creature, resembling wrinkled, green-grey humanoids. They appear to be naturally adept at magic and are able to cast a variety of offensive spells. While they display no signs of culture, unless they actually live within the ruins they are often found around, they do have a learnable language, and will not be directly hostile to those who can speak it. Riekling Tiny, blue skinned inhabitants of Solstheim. Found throughout the wilderness of Solstheim, they usually attack in groups. While they appear to be little more than scattered monsters, the fact they can use equipment such as weaponry and armour suggests otherwise. Several of them can talk, and their cradle of civilization seems to be the giant, icy fortress, Castle Karstaag. Rieklings are described as being the servants of the Karstaag himself, a frost giant who rules over the aforementioned castle. Rieklings use a violent type of boar known as tusked bristleback as mounts. Some of Solstheim's inhabitants theorize that they might be descended from the long gone falmer, while others think that they are simple snow goblins. They also wield spears that can be thrown like javelins. Netch Netch are floating, silt strider like creatures who inhabit Soltheim and Vvardenfell. They appear in Morrowind and Dragonborn. Their leather is sometimes used to make armor and Netch Jelly is an alchemy ingredient. Netch are usually found near water but some can be found in woodland areas. Troll A three-eyed, hairy, ape-like creature that the player encounters randomly in the wilderness and in dungeons. Their fur color varies depending on which kind of environment they live in. Regular trolls, sometimes called cave trolls, inhabit swamps and caves, and have brown fur, while frost trolls are found in mountains and tundras, and are white furred. Trolls in the Cyrodilic heartland of the Tamrielic continent are at times described and depicted as having green fur, although this is likely attributed to the growth of moss on the backs of Cyrodil's native breed. Frost trolls are considerably stronger than cave trolls, though both heal extremely quickly, both are susceptible to fire. Trolls show very little signs of intelligence. There are no known troll villages or groups, but there are a few indications that trolls are more than mindless beasts. Trolls have been described as being sent to guard locations by mages, and one troll has been known to have had the ability to write.http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Easter_Eggs#Literature In Skyrim, the Vampire hunters knows as the Dawnguard have developed the ability to tame wild trolls, as well as equip them with armor in order to do the Dawnguard's bidding. Lycanthropes Lycanthrope is an umbrella term used to refer to various transformations forced upon people by the disease, Lycanthropy. At night, Lycanthropes become humanoid animals, the most common being Werewolves, though Wereboars and Werebears also exist. Rarer, stranger forms of Lycanthropy are also reported, including Werecrocodiles, Werelions, Weresharks, and even Werevultures although these may be attributed to simple tall-tales. Lycanthropes have heightened attributes such as strength, agility and stamina, though their exact strengths and weaknesses might depend on which type of creature they transform into. Bloodlust forces Lycanthropes to kill and devour humans to keep the transformation active and to restore lost health. Lycanthropes have appeared in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Lycanthropes are the servants to the Daedric Lord Hircine, and will serve him for eternity in his Hunting Ground upon their death. It is possible that a second type of Lycanthropy, or at least Werewolves, exists; in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the individual's transformation is a power that can be utilised once per day. A group of warriors known as the Companions take rest in Jorrvaskr, an old mead hall that Whiterun was built around. They take the form of a werewolf but only after a ritual where they merge their spirit with that of the beast world's and become part of the circle. The circle is a defined group of Companions that possess the ability of willing transformation. It is unknown if this difference in transformation criteria is actually a difference between types of Werewolf, or a retcon of Elder Scrolls lore. There is another group known as the vampire hunting Dawnguard in the Skyrim Add-On who offer the willing lycanthropy transformations. Vampire Vampires are creatures inflicted with either of the diseases Sanguinare Vampiris or Porphyric Hemophilia, and have turned into undead, immortal creatures. Vampires are very weak to sunlight; it blinds them, and causes their skin to burn as if on fire. Vampires can drink the blood of other people to decrease their sensitivity to sunlight. The most well fed can walk outside in the day time, and are indistinguishable from ordinary members of their race. It is possible for a Vampire to survive without drinking blood, though they will become extremely gaunt and pale, making them easily recognisable, and will die quickly in sunlight. Vampire Lord Vampire Lords are a more powerful breed of vampire, said to be granted by Lord Molag Bal. They are tall, grey skinned and winged, resembling large humanoid bats. Unlike common vampirism, one has to choose (or be forced to) to allow themselves transformation, although the process is reversible. Vampire Lords are shown to be able to drink the blood of awake people and can use a powerful spell to drain their health. These two methods of killing can make Lords grow in their power. Unlike werewolves, Vampire Lords do not change back over time. Instead, they choose to revert back to a common human. Afflicted The Afflicted Of Peryite are people who have been infected by a disease and live in the Dwemer ruin Bthardamz. They have a vile vapor spell and usually use war axes. Divine (Aedra) The various people of Tamriel worship a variety of deities and otherworldly powers. As said in one tome featured in the "Elder scrolls" series, there may not be any true "Gods", but rather beings of great strengths that are worshiped as such. The principal among these are the Aedra and Daedra. Aedra, translated from Aldmeri to "Our Ancestors", include the "Nine Divines" of the Imperial cult (or 8+1, as Tiber Septim ascended to godhood upon his death and became the Ninth, Talos). The Aedra are rarely reported as taking an active hand in the affairs of mortals except for certain extreme circumstances, such as the end of Oblivion, due to the way they (in accordance with the beliefs of Cyrodils native religion) went about creating the Plane of Mundus and the world of Nirn, where The Elder Scrolls is set. The Daedra, translated as "Not Our Ancestors", are viewed as far less benevolent by most in The Elder Scrolls, embodying the more menacing aspects of human existence. It is unknown exactly how many godly Aedra, or at least non-Daedric beings, exist in the Elder Scrolls universe. While it seems highly likely that the Nine Divines of the Imperial cult exist, especially Akatosh and Talos, many of the Tamrielic races have their own deities of both religious and cultural significance; some seem to be alternative names for members of the Nine or of the Daedric Princes. The worship of the ninth Aedra Talos was illegal in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim due to the White-Gold Concordat, a peace treaty between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion set in place at the end of the Great War where the Aldmeri Dominion's only demands, if peace were to be kept, would be the creation of an embassy to the Aldmeri Dominion in Skyrim (located near Solitude, the capital of the province), the empire wide jurisdiction of Thalmor justiciars (agents of the Aldmeri Dominion) sworn to uphold Thalmor law, and the outlawing of the worship of Talos, whom the Thalmor hold to be a man of strength, but nothing more, and certainly not an Aedra or a god. This is seen as a display of the Thalmor's belief in "Elven supremacy", as they display a deep hatred for the races of men (and "lesser mer" alike). Akatosh The chief deity of the divines, Akatosh is the god of time and depicted as a dragon. Akatosh created the dragon blood of Saint Alessia and is thus creator of the dragonborn. In Oblivion, Martin Septim shatters the Amulet of Kings and becomes the host of Akatosh. In the process he becomes a golden dragon, and when Mehrunes Dagon is defeated he turns to stone. In Dawnguard it is revealed that the Snow Elves worshiped Akatosh, calling him Auriel or Auri-El. In order to stop the prophecy, the player must travel to Darkfall Cave to retrieve the weapon he wielded in battle, Auriel's Bow. Mara The goddess of love, Mara is depicted as a woman wearing robes and necklaces. In Tamrielic culture, couples are married under Mara's blessing and weddings are often held in her temples. Her priests or worshippers would often seek to assist blossoming love. Dibella The goddess of beauty, Dibella is depicted as a woman holding a flower above her head. Dibella is worshiped by women and no male worshipers are known. All are allowed in the main temple, but men are forbidden to enter the inner sanctum of a temple. Stendarr The god of mercy, Stendarr is portrayed by a horn pouring water. His followers seek to eliminate creatures who prey on mortals, such as vampires or werewolves. Aside from these creatures, Stendarr's followers also kill any form of undead. Kynareth The goddess of air, Kynareth is portrayed by purple shrine with a blue gem in the front. Her followers care for a holy tree in Whiterun called the Gildergreen. Kynareth gave mortals the ability to use Thu'um. Talos The god of might, Talos was originally the first emperor of the Septim bloodline, Tiber Septim. He passed unexpectedly into godhood in Daggerfall. His worship is banned by the Aldmeri Dominion in Skyrim. Despite this, many nords still worship him, especially the Stormcloaks who attempt to overthrow the Empire and destroy the Dominion. Talos was the first dragonborn to be summoned to High Hrothgar by the Greybeards and was gifted in the voice. Arkay The god of burials, Arkay's followers despise undead and necromancers. There are Halls of the Dead dedicated to him in every city. Here, the dead are either put in coffins or cremated and put in urns. The halls also contain shrines for Arkay's worship. Julianos The god of wisdom. Julianos is often associated with magic and/or worshipped by mages. Julianos' followers often study magic. He has a shrine in the Temple of The Divines. Zenithar The god of work and commerce, little is known about Zenithar's followers. Zenithar has a shrine in the Temple of the Divines. Daedra The Daedra are creatures native to the realm of Oblivion, typically split into Daedric Princes and Lesser Daedra, though the latter is split into even further categorisation. While all are viewed as "evil" by Aedric worshipers, they are often viewed as something else entirely, while members of morrowind's Temple separate them into two groups; the "good" Daedra, and the "bad." There are a great number of species of lesser Daedra, each type usually serving and reflecting the nature of the Daedric Prince who created them, though there are several types of Daedra who do not have unique allegiances. Most Lesser Daedra can be summoned to the Mortal Plane by Conjurers and other mages, where they will serve their summoner regardless of the mage's intentions. Some Daedra can be found naturally on the Mortal Plane, where they have been planted by their Lord to further their ambitions. There are 17 Daedric Princes, each one controlling a plane of Oblivion, modeled to whatever the Prince wills it to be. Though Oblivion is often called the "void", (much of it is a black and empty sea) mages, emperors and villains alike have all visited it's borders in every era, and returned with tales of "countless isles of wonder and cosmic whimsy". Daedric Princes sometimes show signs of rivalry such as Molag Bal calling Boethiah weak. The Daedra each are associated with different things, like the Aedra. Clavicus Vile, for example, is Prince of pacts and wishes. Daedric Princes are often worshipped instead of the Nine Divines or a pantheon of regional deities, though in most parts of Tamriel controlled by the Cyrodilic Empire with it's state religion, Daedra worship is illegal, and done discretely at hidden shrines. The Deadric Princes will often have sects of dedicated followers, sworn to carry out their commands and wishes. For example, the "Nightingales" are an elite sect of agents of Nocturnal, connected to the Thieves' Guild. Daedric Princes can be summoned to Nirn by witches, or by their followers through a tribute of items or a ritual. The Daedric Prince of destruction, Mehrunes Dagon, appears as the main antagonist in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion where he attempts to expand his realm beyond the plains of Oblivion. It is possible to become a Daedric Prince, notable examples including Boethiah turning the Aldmer god Trinimac into the patron deity of many Orcs, Malacath, and the Champion of Cyrodiil becoming Sheogorath, after the previous incarnation of the latter turned into the Prince known as Jyggalag (who himself had been transformed into Sheogorath in the first place). Atronach Atronachs are a type of daedra composed of a certain material. They are usually humanoid in build, though it varies between games and atronach type; for instance, in Daggerfall all atronachs are almost perfectly human in size and shape, while by the time Skyrim was released the three major types of atronach hardly looked alike (and storm atronachs are now non-humanoid altogether). Atronachs are often conjured by mages, and appear to be intelligent, as many have had dialogue. In Daggerfall, atronachs are created by mages rather than summoned by them, and so are not daedra, but it is possible that these atronachs have been retconned into golems. Also in Daggerfall, daedra similar to atronachs appear, but they are simply called "Fire Daedra" and "Frost Daedra". In Oblivion, atronachs are summoned as well, yet you are granted the ability to create them. Also, these creatures, or entities, are distinguishable in Oblivion; For the frost atronach is a giant ice being, while the flame atronach is a lady-type of figure with few changes to her frame, and the storm atronach is a heeping mass of rocks floating in a mass of lightning. that form a sort of stone being. The most common atronachs appear to be fire, ice/frost and storm (though storm atronachs seem to be composed of hovering stones). Flesh atronachs have appeared in Daggerfall and the Oblivion expansion pack, Shivering Isles, and iron atronachs have appeared in Daggerfall. Daedroth Almost resembles the clannfear, just a bigger green version, who usually roam the planes of Oblivion. These hulking dinosaur-like creatures attack using fire breath, and a combination of claws and headbutts. Usually higher than level ten characters encounter these beasts. Also like trains Dremora Daedra who were created by Mehrunes Dagon, though they appear willing to serve other Daedric Princes, judging by their appearance in Azura's Star and within Peryite's realm. They usually have dark blue-grey skin with strong red flushes (though it may be warpaint) on their face, though some appear to be completely red skinned. Dremora society is made up of 7 castes, and life consists of little other than fighting enemies; most, if not all Dremora, wear heavy armour and carry swords or maces, and the few who don't are equally hostile robed mages. Clannfear Clannfears are standard daedra who roam the planes of Oblivion, while they can be seen outside of that realm in the game Oblivion, they are not stuck in the realm like the player character. They resemble brown dinosaur-like creatures, who attack with claws, and headbutts. Easy to encounter for low level player characters. Scamp Small Imp-like creatures native to Mehrunes Dagon's Plane of Oblivion, though they can quite often be found on the mortal plane guarding Daedric shrines. They have tan skin, hairy legs and the magical ability to shoot fire from their hands. Spider Daedra These daedra are man-like, with a lady's upper half, and a spider-like bottom half. Can summon small spiders to attack the player character, as well as a paralyzing spell. Mostly summoned or found in the planes of Oblivion. Xivilai A giant man-like daedra, armed or unarmed, who is encountered at higher levels, and attacks with punches, weapons, and even spells. Creatures from Soul Cairn Soul Cairn is a realm of Oblivion for souls who were in used soul gems that the player enters in An Elder Scrolls legend Battlespire, and the Dawnguard addon for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It is ridden with soul trapped people inside it Keeper Fearsome creatures who maintain the magic barriers around the main building. They wear dragonplate armor and use powerful attacks challenging for even a Vampire Lord. Boneman Black, skeletal souls that the player encounters randomly in Soul Cairn. Their abilities include melee attacks as well as various spells. References A. A running joke within the series is that Marobar Sul's Ancient Tales of the Dwemer are almost entirely not about the Dwemer. Each book in the series is provided with an appendix denying Dwemeri heritage to the tale it comes paired with. The appendix for this particular tale runs as follows: "'The Seed' is one of Marobar Sul's tales whose origins are well known. This tale originated from the Argonian slaves of southern Morrowind. "Marobar Sul" merely replaced the Dunmer with Dwemer and claimed he found it in a Dwemer ruin. Furthermore, he later claimed that the Argonian version of the tale was merely a retelling of his 'original!'" An essay by the Morrowind character Hasphat Antabolis, who, incidentally, provides the player with a Dwemer related quest in Morrowind, is included in Oblivion, attempting to construct a possible reason for the public's great love for them. Antabolis concludes that "Marobar Sul's Dwemer are so much more comfortable, so much friendlier, so much more familiar, than the real Dwemer, whose truly mysterious nature we are only beginning to understand." Antabolis is forgiving of Sul's faults. "I have some sympathy for that preference. As the following essays will show, the Dwemer were, to our modern eyes, a remarkably unlikeable people in many ways." * Category:Fictional species and races by work Category:The Elder Scrolls note: the abilities of the playable races change throughout the series.